Things Sven does wrong: take the damn job. The English press - and, frankly, so many of the English fans - a re a pack of rabid cunts looking to villify any manager that doesn't produce the unbeaten record they appear to think is their right. I will be intrigued to see if they can find anyone, English or otherwise, interested in taking on the job. Who would want it?
"England do lack creativity in all positions..." I'm Northern Irish, and as such will be the first to jump aboard any England-bashing bandwagon, but I think that's slightly harsh. I'll grant you Gary Neville, and even Owen (a one trick pony who isn't as good at his one trick as he used to be), but a lack of creativity seems a dodgy label to hang around the necks of the likes of Rooney, Gerard and Beckham. It's been said before and will no doubt be said again - Sven's biggest weakness is that he picks his eleven best instead of his best eleven. As for the next in line to the cursed throne - I liked this from Giles Smith in the Times yesterday: "IT IS absolutely ludicrous, absolutely pathetic and I find it quite embarrassing." So said Stuart Pearce, smacking back the suggestion from, among others, Dave Whelan, the controversy-seeking chairman of Wigan Athletic, that the Manchester City manager is ready to be put in charge of England when Sven-Gran Eriksson is gone. "This must be the only industry in the world," Pearce added, "where you have a total novice, who has not even been in management for one year, being touted for the top job." Even to put him in the frame, Pearce went on, was to commit a "massive slur" against managers far more experienced than himself. How rare and welcome it was to hear a football manager speak like this. In that single, pithy outburst, Pearce revealed himself to be eloquent, clear-sighted, imbued with a mature sense of perspective and capable of seeing far beyond the narrow confines of his personal interest. I never thought it before, but I do now: give that man the England job.
Being England manager is a bit like being a politician - anyone who wants to do it for a living shouldn't be allowed near it.
What rodgered said. We have become a nation governed by muck raking snide bastards and thick chunts. As for the next guy, I would go for Cruyff, who would not be daft enough to take it or Big Phil Scolari, who has said that he would be mug enough to take it. If the people who run our football, namely the News of the World and the Daily Mail, insist on an English manager I would go for Peter Taylor, who has succeeded at international level and is already on the inside, or, Steve Coppell, who has never actually failed anywhere, and has top class experience as a player, but who might not welcome the scrutiny.
Sven hasn't done anything wrong on the pitch (this coming from a Welshman), but has been very foolish off it. He knows what the tabloids are like in this country - one sniff of scandal and the pounce like a pack of bloodthirsty hounds. So knowing that, why did he meet Peter Kenyon in a public restaraunt to discuss the Chelsea job? Why did he have an affair with a celebrity, get caught, then do exactly the same thing a year later? Why meet a complete stranger - and not just anyone, but "the fake sheik" who has stung people before - and discuss how corrupt British football is? The man's a gullible fool.
A gullible fool who will be knighted if they win the World Cup.
Hah, yes that would be interesting. The News of the World would no doubt be leading the campaign for "Sir Sven" just months after hounding the man out of his job,
Sven's now saying discussions were ongoing about his departure after the World Cup prior to his recent indiscretion. Hard to know whether to believe him or not.
Thanks to all the Brits, Irish and others who chimed in on my query re the beef with Sven -- good education for someone who hasn't been able to follow English football closely for a while now.
a lack of creativity seems a dodgy label to hang around the necks of the likes of Rooney, Gerard and Beckham I guess I should have said almost all positions, JJ. Although when was the last time Beckham really bossed a game for England? The WC qualifier against Greece in 2001? And Rooney tends to wander about up front for long periods. I'd like to see Gerrard and Lampard build a real relationship in the middle of the park. They are England's strengths. And like you, I thought Pearce was spot on.
Seems to weird that SGE will be left as lame duck for the most important tournament in the world. Even though it might be a disruption, if I were FA Chairman he'd be out the door today.
They can't afford to boot him out bill, because they acted like idiots when the media demanded that he sign another contract when he still had about two years on his existing one. A knee jerk reaction to a media frenzy then and here we go again. Owlhouse, I worry about Lampard and Gerrard in the middle because neither seems willing to play second fiddle. This is one of Svens failings; he should long ago have told one of them....you fucking do as you are told or you are out. As for creativity, of course we have Rooney but the rest of them are highly efficient specialists, unlikely to astonish us all with their off the cuff, spontaneous, untutored, artistry but then few teams have ever had more than one genius at a time, so I suppose we shouldn't complain.
he should long ago have told one of them....you fucking do as you are told or you are out. That's the nail on the head, FB. It's become typical to have all the hand-wringing over the left wing but it's in the middle where England vastly underachieve. You would think between Gerrard and Lampard, one of would have said, "right, you go forward and I'll keep things tight in front of the back four", but obviously neither of them are professional enough to do what's right for the team. It's a shame really. I'm afraid we'll never see the best of this England side.
And just to throw my opinion out there, on current and recent form, Lampard should slot in behind the strikers with Gerrard in the holding role. Gerrard is much stronger in the tackle, and what more needs to be said for Lampard as an offensive threat? The tactics seems pretty clear.
he should long ago have told one of them....you fucking do as you are told or you are out. You're right, this is exactly the crux of the matter. I saw Sven interviewed about just this issue on Sky or somesuch bloodsuckers and he said he would "ask" one of them if they'd play the defensive role. Ask?!? You're the fucking manager son. You don't ask.
What about three in the middle of the park? Ledley King (say)in front of the back four in a holding role and then Gerrard and Lampard in front of him? You could then develop other formations around this, either 5-3-2 or 4-1-4-1 depending on how much width you want at any particular time, or to respond to changing situations on the field. But the core of the midfield reains the same. Much more flexible, and more options, than the traditional 4-4-2.
But as Tele Santana once said about coaching Brazil - 'How can anyone do this job with 120 million selectors?'
Gus Hiddink interested in the job according to his agent. Please say it's so.
Owl, I thought there was a law that England must always play 4-4-2, club and nation.
Guus will change that. Anyway, he has a job for life in either Korea or Australia, if he wants it.
